Device for wrapping articles

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for wrapping flat articles wherein each article with its wrapping material is pushed through a folding tunnel for the purpose of partially folding the wrapping material about the article, and each article is then transported to a final folding station; additional folding operations being performed during the transport. The next cycle of operations in the apparatus is begun during this transport.

United States Patent [7 2 Marcel Demierre Chavannes, Switzerland 691,754

Dec. 19, 1967 Mar. 23, 1971 Sapal Societe Anonyme des PlieusesAutomatiques Vaud, Switzerland Dec. 30, 1966 Switzerland Inventor Appl.No. Filed [45] Patented Assignee Priority DEVICE FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES 4Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,698,585 1/1929 Fischer PrimaryExaminer-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher port.

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DEVICE FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES The present invention concerns a method forwrapping articles, such as chocolate tablets for instance, in which thewrapping is begun by passing the articles each with its wrappingmaterial one after the other through a folding shaft.

In the case of wrapping machines, for instance for wrapping chocolatetablets, it has long been usual to provide a so-called folding shaft, ortunnel through which the combination of the article to be wrappedtogether with its wrapping material is pushed in order to achieve apartial folding.

The folding shaft offers the great advantage that the packing machine isnot only simple in construction but also simple to operate and achievesa folding of pleasant appearance to which the consumers have long beenused. a

The rate of ejection of packing machines with folding shafts has howeverbeen limited up tothe present time by the fact that in the case of theknown machines all the folding operations following the folding shaftare carried out within reach of the folding shaft.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate this disejection ofthe machine without increasing the speed of operation, respectively ,theacceleration of the individual machine components.

Owing to the fact that according to the invention the said neighborhoodis freed earlier than in the case of known machines, it is possible toproceed conveniently in such a manner that the folding operations arecontinued whilst the packing material partially folded round the articleis still par tially in the folding shaft, the folding is proceeded withwhilst the article is being transported to a final folding station, andthe following cycle of operations is already begun during thistransport, by the introduction of the following article with its packingmaterial into the folding shaft.

The invention further concerns a device for carrying out the saidmethod, with a folding shaft; through which the articles provided withtheir packing material are run through one after the other, and withmeans arranged away from the neighborhood of the folding shaft tocontinue and finishthe folding of the packing material around thearticles.

This device is characterized according to the invention by means whichlead the partially packed article away from the neighborhood of thefolding shaft to a final folding station, in order to free thisneighborhood rapidly and to increase the rate of ejection of the machinewithout increasing the speed of operation, respectively the accelerationof the individual machine components.

The device is conveniently designed in such a manner that the meansarranged away from the neighborhood of the folding shaft comprisefolding members which at the same time form transport members conceived.in such a manner that, on

.the one hand they begin the folding operations on the article leavingthe folding shaft whilst the partially folded packing material is stillpartially in the folding shaft, and on the other, continue the foldingoperations whilstthey are transporting the partially wrapped articletoward sthe final folding station, a new cycle of folding operationsbeginning on the following article already during this transport.

In the following, an embodiment of the invention is described in greaterdetail by way of example with reference to the appended drawing and itsadvantage compared to known machines is explained.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show three successive phases of the operation of a packingmachine'in side elevation and partially in cross section, parts whichare not essential to the invention being left out.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show three successive phases of the operation of thetransversal folders, partially in cross section.

FIG. 7 shows a view from above of the machine according to FIGS. 1 to 6.

FIG. 8a shows (for purposes of comparison) a simplified diagram of thesuccessive motions of a known machine with a folding shaft, whilst FIG.8b shows a corresponding diagram of the machine illustrated in FIGS. 1to 7.

The illustrated machine has a transport chain 1 which runs round a wheel2 and is provided with pusher fingers 2a. These move tablets ofchocolate 3a, 3b, 3c on a support (not shown) towards a folding station,described in greater detail below.

At least one foil 4 is fed in sections in a known manner from a roll(not shown) towards the folding station. In addition, paper blanks 50are brought from a magazine 5 and placed on the foil sections in thefolding station, which is also effected in a manner known per se bymeans of jaws 6.

The folding station is primarily provided with a folding shaft or tunnel7, which can be made to slide perpendicularly by means of a tappet 8. Alower transporter 9 and an upper transporter 10 operate within thefolding shaft. The lower transporter 9 is a ram, the rod 11 of whichslides in a guide 12 and is actuated by a lever 13. The uppertransporter 10 is actuated by links l4, l5 and 16 of which the last isarticulated in the fixed point 17. The upper transporter 10 is providedin a known manner with a shock absorber I8.

Following the folding shaft 7, the illustrated machine is fitted with acombined transport and folding member 19, which is mounted to rock onthe axis 20 and acts at the same time as transversal folding member. Forthis purpose the member 19 is provided with transversal folders,essentially formed by two blocks 21 arranged opposite to one another.

Each block 21 is provided with a lower tongue 22 as well as with a rod23 which carries a coil spring 24. This latter is engaged in a bore 25of the block 21 and there bears against a wall 26, whilst its other endacts against the clamp heads 27.

A guide 28 in the shape of an arc of a circle is provided along the pathalong which the transport member 19 swings. A final folding station 29is situated at the end of the guide 28. This station is provided with amovable support 30, a swinging stop 31 and a ram 32 as well as with aguide 33. The guides 28 and 33 are designed in such a manner that theguide 28 comprises a short radially and downwardly directed projection34 and the guide 33 a somewhat longer radially and upwardly directedprojection 35, the projections 34 and 35 being practically parallel toone another and forming a longitudinal folding shaft.

The movable support 30 and the ram 32 are actuated by linksswingingabout the axis 36,.guides and rods (known per se) which are notdescribed in greater detail being provided.

An ejector 37 which swings about the axis 20 and acts along a fixedlateral guide 38 is arranged after the final folding station 29 with itslongitudinal folding shaft 34, 35. Finally, two transport clamps 39 and40 acting horizontally over a short distance and actuated by levers 41,respectively 42 articulated on the axis 43 follow this ejector 37.

The illustrated machine operates as follows:

The tablets of chocolate 3 are pushed by the pusher fingers 2a towardsthe lower transporter 9. By means of a pusher which is not shown, thetablets are slid onto the head of the lower transporter 9. At the sametime, the upper face of the tablet is provided at this point with asection of the web 4 as well as with a paper blank 50, this beingeffected by the clamp 6. In order to simplify the drawing, the sectionof the web 4 lying on the chocolate tablet 3 is not differentiatedparticularly from the paper blank 50.

In this position, illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper transporter has alsopenetrated with its holder 10 into the folding shaft 7, so that thechocolate tablet 3b together with the packing materials may be heldbetween the lower transporter 9 and the shock-absorber 18 of the upperholder 10.

In the operating phase illustrated in FIG. 2, the clamp 6 has freed thepacking material 50 and the tablet 3b is led through the folding shaft 7by the transporters 9 and 10. At the same time this folding shaft isactuated in such a fashion that it is moved by the tappet 8 for acertain distance in the same direction as the tablet 3b, which has theadvantage that the relative speed between the folding shaft 7 and thetablet 3 is reduced. In this way damage to the packing material may beavoided more easily.

In the operating phase illustrated in FIG. 3, the tablet 3b is situatedat the upper end of the travel of the folding shaft 7. After thetransport member 19 with its transversal folding members has becomeeffective, the folding shaft 7 has moved towards its lower position.However, before the transport member 19 can become effective, the holder10 of the upper transporter must be swung out of the way towards theright (FIG. 2), which is effected by means of the links 14, and 16.

FIG. 4 illustrates an operating phase which occurs shortly before thatof FIG. 3. The tablet 3b is still being held by the lower transporter 9and the shock-absorber 18 of the upper transporter 10, whilst the blocks21 of the transport member 19 begin their motion. Whilst this occurs theclamp heads 27 hold the tablet 3b resiliently, and at the same time thetongues 22 approach the edge of the tablet. Following this the tongues22 act as transversal folders, by sliding under the tablet.

FIG. 5 illustrates an operating phase of the member 19 on its way to thefinal folding station 29. The lower tongues 22 are still on the way totheir final position under the tablet 3. The clamp heads 27, which werealready effective in the phase according to FIG. 4, are still appliedagainst the tablet 3.

The phase of operation illustrated in FIG. 6 corresponds to that of FIG.1, the tablet 3b of FIG. l'having however now taken the place of thetablet 3b shown there. In this position the blocks 21 of the member 19are completely moved aside together with all their components.

The tablet 3a rests on the movable support 30 of the longitudinal folderand is held by the projection 35 and the rockable stop 31.

For the following phases of operation reference must be made again toFIGS. 2 and 3.

As may be seen in FIG. 2, the longitudinal folding in the final foldingstation 29 of the tablet 3a is effected by raising stop 31 and actuatingthe ram 32, which pushes the tablet 3a along a longitudinal foldingplane which is determined by the projections 34 and 35. It may be seenthat this longitudinal folding plane has an inclination of an angle ofabout 45. The finally packed tablet 3a now passes onto the rockingejector In FIG. 3 one may see how the ejector 37 pushes the tablet 3aalong a circular sector between the transport clamps 39 and 40. Thesepull the packed tablets in jerks along a short distance towards theleft.

All the movable parts of the illustrated device are actuated andcontrolled in a known manner. In addition, it may be remarked that theapplication of adhesive is not shown and is effected in a known manner.t

It may be seen that the transport member 19 moves through an arc ofabout 45, which also applies to the ejector 37. It has been found thatit is preferable to choose an angle of from 30 to 60 for the path of themember 19 and correspondingly for that of the ejector 37.

The improvement which may be achieved according to the invention willnow be shortly explained by way of example with reference to FIGS. 80and 8b.

In FIG. 8a the horizontal segments represent the time required for theforward motion of the following machine components of a known machine:lower transporter UT, transversal folder QF, longitudinal folder LF,longitudinal folder ram LFS, machine outlet MA.

FIG. 8b illustrates the corresponding forward motions of the machineaccording to FIGS. 1 to 7. It may be seen that the lower transporter UT9, the transversal folder QF 22, the longitudinal folder LF 30, thelongitudinal folder ram LFS 32 and the ejector A 37 require the sametime for their forward motion as is the case in the known machine.

As may be seen the motion of the transport member 19 occurs between themotions of the transversal folder 22 and the longitudinal folder 30.

Whilst in the kriown machines the corresponding forward motions occurone after the other and have practically no or only little overlap, theforward motions have considerable overlap according to the invention, sothat a cycle takes up less time. In FIG. 8b the gain in time per machinecycle is indicated by the letter G, and it may be seen that the gaincorresponds to about 30 to 40 percent.

It is also possible to see from FIGS. and 8b that in spite of theshortening of the time required for a cycle, the same absolute timeinterval is available for the motions of the essential components of themachine, and this means that it is possible to increase the rate ofdelivery of the machine (number of packed chocolate tablets per minute)without the speed of operation, respectively the acceleration of theindividual components of the machine being increased.

It may be remarked, in addition, that in the FIGS. 8a and 8b only thetimes required for the forward motions are indicated.

I claim:

1. A device for wrapping flat articles with wrapping materialcomprising: a folding tunnel adapted to partially fold said wrappingmaterial about each of said articles as the combination of each articlewith its wrapping material passes therethrough; a first ram movablymounted near the entrance of said folding tunnel, said first ram beingadapted to move said combination through said folding tunnel;transporter means including holder means carried thereon, movablymounted near the exit of said folding tunnel, said holder means beingadapted to cooperate with said first ram to move said combinationthrough said folding tunnel, said holder means being articulated andadapted to depend from said transporter means, the length of stroke ofsaid holder means being through said folding tunnel, such that inoperation and before reaching the lower end of its stroke through saidfolding tunnel, it is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of saidfolding tunnel; a final folding station spaced from said folding tunnel;combined transport and folding means movable between the exit of saidfolding tunnel and said final folding station, said combined transportand folding means including holder means comprising immobilizing means,said immobilizing means being adapted to seize said combination at apoint above the exit of said folding tunnel, two opposed lower tonguesmovably mounted in said combined transport and folding means below saidimmobilizing means, said tongues being adapted to move below the bottomsurface of said article while concurrently pressing said wrappingmaterial against said bottom surfaces, and means for actuating saidcombined transport and folding means such that said combination istransported to said final folding station .while being positively held;said combined transport and folding means being adapted to travel alongan arc of a circle to transport said combination away from the axis ofsaid folding tunnel; said combined transport and folding means beingadapted to begin folding operations on said combination while saidcombination is still partially in said folding tunnel and continue saidfolding operations during transport of said combination to said finalfolding station; said final folding station comprising a second ramadapted to move said combination radially of the direction of movementof said combined transport and folding means, a movable tongueoperatively associated with said second ram and adapted to move belowthe bottom surface of said article while concurrently pressing saidwrapping material against said bottom surface, and a stationary tongueover which said combination passes when moved by said second ram,thereby pressing said wrapping material against said bottom surface;further transporter means adapted to receive said wrapped article fromsaid final folding station, said further transporter means being adaptedto travel along an arcuate folder is arranged to form a ram for thewrapped article in order to eject the latter.

4. Device according to claim 2, wherein the final folding station isprovided with an ejector mounted so as to be able to swing, said ejectortaking over thearticle coming from said second ram directly and pushingit along an arc of a circle between two horizontal transport hooksacting over a short distance. 7

1. A device for wrapping flat articles with wrapping materialcomprising: a folding tunnel adapted to partially fold said wrappingmaterial about each of said articles as the combination of each articlewith its wrapping material passes therethrough; a first ram movablymounted near the entrance of said folding tunnel, said first ram beingadapted to move said combination through said folding tunnel;transporter means including holder means carried thereon, movablymounted near the exit of said folding tunnel, said holder means beingadapted to cooperate with said first ram to move said combinationthrough said folding tunnel, said holder means being articulated andadapted to depend from said transporter means, the length of stroke ofsaid holder means being through said folding tunnel, such that inoperation and before reaching the lower end of its stroke through saidfolding tunnel, it is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of saidfoLding tunnel; a final folding station spaced from said folding tunnel;combined transport and folding means movable between the exit of saidfolding tunnel and said final folding station, said combined transportand folding means including holder means comprising immobilizing means,said immobilizing means being adapted to seize said combination at apoint above the exit of said folding tunnel, two opposed lower tonguesmovably mounted in said combined transport and folding means below saidimmobilizing means, said tongues being adapted to move below the bottomsurface of said article while concurrently pressing said wrappingmaterial against said bottom surfaces, and means for actuating saidcombined transport and folding means such that said combination istransported to said final folding station while being positively held;said combined transport and folding means being adapted to travel alongan arc of a circle to transport said combination away from the axis ofsaid folding tunnel; said combined transport and folding means beingadapted to begin folding operations on said combination while saidcombination is still partially in said folding tunnel and continue saidfolding operations during transport of said combination to said finalfolding station; said final folding station comprising a second ramadapted to move said combination radially of the direction of movementof said combined transport and folding means, a movable tongueoperatively associated with said second ram and adapted to move belowthe bottom surface of said article while concurrently pressing saidwrapping material against said bottom surface, and a stationary tongueover which said combination passes when moved by said second ram,thereby pressing said wrapping material against said bottom surface;further transporter means adapted to receive said wrapped article fromsaid final folding station, said further transporter means being adaptedto travel along an arcuate path to eject said wrapped article from saidwrapping device; and cycling means for cycling the operation of saiddevice so that during the transport of a combination to said finalfolding station, another combination is introduced into said foldingtunnel.
 2. Device according to claim 1 wherein said final foldingstation is provided with a longitudinal folder, which becomes effectiveimmediately after a combination arrives in this station.
 3. Deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the longitudinal folder is arranged toform a ram for the wrapped article in order to eject the latter. 4.Device according to claim 2, wherein the final folding station isprovided with an ejector mounted so as to be able to swing, said ejectortaking over the article coming from said second ram directly and pushingit along an arc of a circle between two horizontal transport hooksacting over a short distance.